Toki

Award ticket + Yokoso or Japan Explorer must be a good way.

jix

Well I'm saving the miles for another trip maybe. I have a flight booked to Japan later this year and will need to fly Tokyo-Seoul-Osaka/Tokyo so I'll try to book JL flights from there.

thegrailer

Purchased Premium E JFK-NRT-SYD. JL seat map almost completely full re middle only available. ExpertFlyer shows plenty of available seats. Calls to JL fruitless. Different agents providing different "reasons" why I can't select any other seat. One JL agent mentioned that I could pick a different seat re better seat at 72 hours pre-flight. This agent also flopped back and forth between no available seats and blocked seats. Upthread someone noted that JL blocks a lot of F/J seats. Do they block Premium E seats too? Does my OW Emerald status help? I would think that a Premium E fare as opposed to a deep discount E fare would allow "better" seat choices?

Thoughts/suggestions?

Cheers

JALPak

What you can see online is what you can select in advanced. That has taken into account of your fare code and status. Yes, JL does block seats in PY cabin too. So try OLCI and at the airport if you want a different seat. Calling JL won't go anywhere.

rustykettel

I've seen the blocks past OLCI and while under airport control (below). Counter agent called someone, presumably the same person they call to authorize PE counter upgrades since they didn't place a second call, to release/authorize assigning 21A/C to us. Note that I've seen different seats blocked just before departure (or not at all) so I don't know if there's a pattern to it or not.

hunterjumperguy

Flying ORD-NRT (JAL 9), then NRT-BKK (JAL 707) in a little over a week. Wondering if anyone has an "on-the-plane" sleep strategy to minimize feeling like garbage? We're overnighting in ORD the night before our flight, which leaves at 12:35 pm (Central Daylight Time). The flight is blocked at 13 hrs, seeing in NRT at 3:35 pm (which is 1:35 am back in Chicago). 707 leaves at 6:05 pm, blocked for 7 hrs, and lands at BKK at 11:00 pm. Will be late by the time we get to our hotel and plan on hitting the ground running the next day to adapt as quickly as possible. Would love suggestions on when to sleep some that we can adjust, but also don't want to be miserable during layover in NRT. FC on first leg and BC ON Second leg and will have access to lounges. Thanks in advance!

JALPak

That's correct. Block pattern can change between flights.

jix

Make sure you have your Emerald status reflected on reservation. They do block seats but status should help. Do you also know what the flight load is?

Also, what do you mean by the difference between premium E fare and discounted E fare? The E fare code is already a discounted premium economy fare on JL, unless you mean you bought a full fare (W) premium economy which may allow you more seat choices.

JALPak

By E he meant Economy LOL

CPH-Flyer

It is fairly individual what works, but I generally try to sleep as little as possible when going west. It just becomes a very long day and at the end of the evening, I am nackered and sleep through the night. This of course depends on the actual departure time, but with the ORD schedule that would be my flow. A few hours of napping, no sleep on BKK.

jayoxd

Does JAL F offer dining on demand? Or is it timed?

JALPak

on demand

deovrat

Ok, taking a JAL flight in 2 weeks and all business class booking classes are sold out. Zero. Nada.

I'm flying on a AS award ticket.

Should I start sweating?

Does IDB take into account revenue pax/award pax or is it just according to Check-in sequence?

A NH flight leaving 5 hours later is also sold out in business.

thegrailer

Thanks all --
My call seemed to have worked. While the US call center agent stated that he could not assist, by the time it was business hours in TYO yesterday, I had new seats. I called the TYO office (had to try) and make my case. The agent told me my seat assignments wondering why I was "whining" (no sign of any of that from the agent - just how I was feeling ) -- JL had been changed my seats b/w calls and I am good to go.

Second question: Is there a thread that describes the Premium Economy (no more abbreviations ) experience?

Cheers

JALPak

They will contact people in advance if needed.